New Leaf
Chapter 2
by Layne Richards
Essex County Criminal Court was just as crowded this morning as any other, Richie Roberts noted, as he set his briefcase down at the prosecutor’s desk. Crime was alive and well and thriving in Newark. Sometimes he wondered what the hell they were all doing here if the crime rate was still going up. Then, he had to ask himself how it would be if they weren’t here.
It was Wednesday and he was here for the case of State of New Jersey v. John (Johnny) Ross. And he was pissed because, in his opinion, this case should never have made it into the courtroom. The guy had been selling cocaine on a high school campus. Richie had eye witnesses, including the kid who’d been about to buy the dope from Johnny. Irrefutable evidence and sure conviction. But Ross had steadfastly refused to deal, demanding either a walk or his day in court. And Richie hadn’t been about to give the dirt bag a walk for selling dope to high school kids. So, here they were.
As he sipped a cup of coffee, he watched witnesses, attorneys, and spectators file into the courtroom. Johnny himself was brought in by two deputies and placed at the defendant’s desk. Richie smiled at his attorney. He’d faced this guy twice before in court and had mopped up the floor with him. He could have enjoyed it, if this trial wasn’t gonna take two whole days away from more important cases.
Among the spectators filing in, he saw Jessica Lane, the teacher who had been a witness to Johnny’s dope deal. Richie almost didn’t recognize her. The young woman he’d seen in his office a week ago had been wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a ponytail. This woman looked at least five years older than she had that evening. She was in a gray skirt and white blouse. Her hair hung about her shoulders, but was drawn away from her face. Different, but still damn pretty, he thought to himself.
The jury filed in; court was called to order, and he gave his opening statement. Brief and to the point. Ross had been seen by eyewitnesses. His prints were on the plastic bag containing the cocaine. The jury would have no alternative but to find him guilty.
Richie started with the arresting officer, followed by the lab technician. The day was progressing slowly, with Jerry Harding, the defense counsel, trying to nitpick the finest details with the witnesses. It wasn’t working.
Noon came and the judge called a lunch break. Richie had a sandwich in his office, going over the rest of his witness list and making sure he had his questions straight. He was damn sure not gonna lose a case this easy because of any little detail.
Just after lunch, he called Miss Lane. As she made her way to the stand, he could tell she was still nervous. Well, she’d have it over with in short order now. He gave her a smile as she was sworn in and started his questioning. She might be nervous, but she was well prepared. Her testimony went as smoothly as it had in his office.
Richie was also pleased to note that, when the defense cross-examined her, she maintained her cool. Told Ross’ lawyer that, yes, she had seen him clearly and no, there was no way that she was mistaken. The man she had seen was his client.
The defense called two witnesses, who spent about ten minutes each on the stand. Then came closing statements. Richie was satisfied that the verdict would be guilty. And he was relieved that all the testimony had gone so quickly. This case would take up only one precious day, instead of two.
As the jury filed out to deliberate, the few spectators got up to go to the restroom or the water fountain. Richie wandered toward the back of the courtroom. Jessica Lane was sitting on the back row, apparently absorbed in a book she had brought.
He paused in front of her. “So, you stickin’ around for the verdict?”
Jessica looked up at the sound of his voice, smiled at him. “Any idea how long that will take?”
“I’ll be surprised if it’s an hour,” Richie told her, sitting down next to her and resting his elbows on his knees. “He’s obviously guilty, and I don’t see how they could miss that. They’ll wanna get it over with and go home. You did great, by the way.”
“Thanks.” This time, her smile was relieved. “I was still nervous. It’s good to be finished with it.”
He chuckled. “There are days when I say that, too!”
Richie was appreciatively eyeing her legs, wondering if she knew just how much that skirt rode up when she was sitting down. She looked more like a teacher and less like one of her own students today. They chatted about the case and the weather and other inconsequential things, but all the time he was fighting an inward battle with himself--over whether to ask her out.
She was damned attractive, and he’d been so busy with work lately that he hadn’t even had time to go for drinks with a woman in a couple of weeks. On the other hand, he didn’t think she was the type who’d wanna just go for drinks and end up right back at his place.
Richie watched as the jury started to file back in. “Gotta go back to my desk and look official.” He smiled at her, still wondering about asking her out.
It took all of five minutes. The verdict was Guilty. Just as he’d known it would be. He smiled to himself.
As he picked up his briefcase and turned toward the back of the courtroom, he noticed that Jessica was gone. Just as well. He’d celebrate tonight by going to a bar, having a few and picking up a nice-looking stewardess. Just a matter of knowing where they hung out, and Richie had kept up with that for years now.
In the hallway, as he was heading for one of the many side exits from the courthouse, he heard his name being called. When he turned around, it was her. Jessica. She still looked nervous, even though the trial was all over.
“Congratulations.” She looked almost as though she were trying to avoid his eyes.
“Thanks. Thought you were gone when I didn’t see you in the courtroom.”
“Well, I almost did leave, but-” She seemed to be stumbling over something. Hesitating.
Deep breath, and then she spoke in a rush. “I was wondering if you might be interested in catching a movie on Friday night? And maybe getting some dinner?”
Well, shit! Had she just asked him out? That was something that had never happened before. Richie actually wasn’t sure how to respond. This was the late seventies and he knew women did that these days. Sure, women had asked him for sex (mostly in bars late at night), but no one had asked him out on an actual date.
Jessica mistook his silence. “Listen. If I just embarrassed myself and you here, I’m sorry. I never asked a guy out before, but I had a great time talking to you last week, and I just thought- But, if you’re married or you have a girlfriend or something-”
If he didn’t speak up, he was going to lose his chance. “No! No. I mean- I’m not married or anything. And I’d like that.”
His voice was stumbling a little. Same way it used to when the professor called his name in law school and he had to get up in front of the class. He’d once told his partner that the number one fear of people wasn’t dying, it was public speaking. That he felt like he wanted to throw up when he was forced to do it. He felt a little like that now.
“Honestly?” He grinned at her. “I never had a girl ask me out before. I mean- I know they do nowadays. I just never had it happen to me.”
She grinned back. “Maybe they’re intimidated? You know? Ex-cop. Prosecutor.”
Richie’s grin got wider. The more he thought about this, the more he was enjoying it. Hell, he could get used to women doing the asking. Took some of the pressure off. And just wait’ll he told his buddies about this!
“Intimidated? By me? Nah! They prob’ly just got better taste.”
Jessica laughed. “Well, if you’re going to stand there and insult me-”
Hell, he was gonna mess this up yet! “No- I mean, yeah, I’d like to go out with you Friday.”
“Good.” She was smiling again. And looking nervous again. “Now, what’s the etiquette here? Remember, I never did this. Do you want to give me your address and let me pick you up?”
“Tell you what-” Richie was starting to enjoy this conversation. “I’ll be at the office until about five. What if I pick you up about six? Not that I’m tryin’ to mess with you doin’ the askin’ and stuff. Just seems a little more practical. That way we won’t get such a late start.”
“Okay.” She looked relieved. “That’ll be fine. All this asking people out is a little tougher than I thought it would be.”
Richie could sympathize with that. He’d always had trouble with it himself.
“I hate to leave, ‘cause I’m really enjoyin’ this,” he told her with a smile. “But I gotta get back to the office. Got a public defender comin’ in to talk to me about a deal.”
“Sorry to hold you up.” Jessica’s smile was back. “I’ll be looking forward to Friday.” She turned to go.
“Me too. See ya then.” Richie watched her go, enjoying the view of ass, hips, and legs he was getting with her in that skirt.
Smiling all the way back to his office, he thought to himself that he didn’t know why guys were complainin’ about this women’s lib stuff. And he wondered if there were any chance at all that a date with her would end the same way his “dates” usually did. If so, he was really looking forward to it.